Why "Entrance" and "Exit" doors?

[Jamie Buxton]

Some retail stores have doors marked "Entrance", and others marked "Exit". Many other stores don't make a distinction; you can go in or out any door. Why is this?

(And just to increase the confusion, many of the Entrance/Exit stores have automatic door openers which open regardless of the direction of the pedestrian. That is, the doors are both in and out doors, regardless of the signs.)

[Mike Henderson]

I can't answer all of your question, but I'm sure they don't want to do anything to keep customers out. If you want to enter via the exit door, that's fine with them.

Mike

[Brian Elfert]

Having marked entrance and exit doors makes it less likely customers will run into each other. I hate it when a whole group of customers decides to walk in the exit door thereby blocking my exit. They are usually just too lazy to walk the extra 10 feet to the entrance door.

[Mark Engel]

On a related subject, what is up with one way streets?

[Jim Koepke]

Some people are overly fixated on their business' traffic pattern.

I one time experienced a person becoming apoplectic over people walking around a barrier instead of going outside and walking around a building. There was no reason for there to be a barrier other than in the mind of the man that was getting all upset because people weren't doing things the way he wanted.

That is one reason I do not like stores like Ikea with the flow pretty much directed to go one way. Let me go get what I want without having to take a circuitous route through every department in the store.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

On a related subject, what is up with one way streets?

Depends on where they are used. In some cases I have found they are great at moving traffic with timed lights. Timing lights is difficult at best on two way streets.

jtk

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Sometimes it's related to the ADA rules, sometimes fire marshal codes, sometimes because of no good reason at all. I walked into Walmart an hour ago, and went in the exit because it made me feel like I was a rebel. Us old people need kept in line, I think that's actually why they do it. We can rebel at the door and get it out of our system. Cuts down on the riots inside.

[John Coloccia]

I pretty much ignore signs like that. I'm not trying to be difficult, and I'm not impatient or lazy, but one thing I can NOT stand is frivolous waste of time. I'll spend weeks getting a tiny detail right, but I won't spend 20 seconds doing some ridiculous task that has no purpose. No one's ever said anything, and why would they? I'm a customer walking into their store.

I don't follow the little arrows at Ikea either. I'm really surprised so many people do.

[Brian Elfert]

I pretty much ignore signs like that. I'm not trying to be difficult, and I'm not impatient or lazy, but one thing I can NOT stand is frivolous waste of time. I'll spend weeks getting a tiny detail right, but I won't spend 20 seconds doing some ridiculous task that has no purpose. No one's ever said anything, and why would they? I'm a customer walking into their store.

You're lazy, just plain LAZY. You would rather block someone's exit from the store rather than walk an extra 10 steps. I bet you probably take the shortest route in the store too no matter how many others it inconveniences too. I see it all the time in stores where folks walk right of other shoppers just because they are too lazy to walk an extra step or too hurried to wait an extra second or two. You're probably the guy who drives the wrong way down a one way parking lane because you're too lazy to drive around the long way.

I'm not perfect at following rules, but at least I'm considerate of others. If the exit and entrance doors are right next to each other I will use the proper door, but I have been known to go in the exit door if it it is on the other end of the building and the item I need is just inside the exit door. There is an unwritten rule in society that people should walk on the right sides of hallways. I can't tell you how many times I have been run into on a hallway corner because people are too lazy to actually walk on the far side of a corner and just take the shortest path around the corner.

[Phil Thien]

You're lazy, just plain LAZY. You would rather block someone's exit from the store rather than walk an extra 10 steps. I bet you probably take the shortest route in the store too no matter how many others it inconveniences too. I see it all the time in stores where folks walk right of other shoppers just because they are too lazy to walk an extra step or too hurried to wait an extra second or two. You're probably the guy who drives the wrong way down a one way parking lane because you're too lazy to drive around the long way.


I have it on good authority that he doesn't always replace the twist-tie on the loaf of bread, either, and just twists the bag a few times and folds the end under.

There is probably no helping him.

[Jeff Erbele]

Some retail stores have doors marked "Entrance", and others marked "Exit". Many other stores don't make a distinction; you can go in or out any door. Why is this?

(And just to increase the confusion, many of the Entrance/Exit stores have automatic door openers which open regardless of the direction of the pedestrian. That is, the doors are both in and out doors, regardless of the signs.)

The reason or reasons why may vary but the obvious one is ease of traffic flow, preventing people from getting in each others way trying to get around each other.

Sam's Club also uses it as a means to check your club ID at the entrance and screen your receipt against your cart at the exit.

Several stores come to mind, Lowe's, Home Depot, Menard's, Target, military base commissaries, Bed Bath & Beyond and Office Depot where they direct returns to the Customer Service Counter first and/or control theft. Once you select and pay for your merchandise there is only one place to go, out through the exit. With some there is no option of entering via the exit or exiting via the entrance.

[Jeff Erbele]

On a related subject, what is up with one way streets?

They move more traffic faster. There is no head-on traffic to wait for in left turn lanes; one does not have to take turns.
They are safer. Like the interstate or a divided highway all traffic is moving in the same direction. Head on collisions are virtually nill in comparison. You have no headlights shining at you, diminishing visibility, blinding or blind areas.

[John Coloccia]

I have it on good authority that he doesn't always replace the twist-tie on the loaf of bread, either, and just twists the bag a few times and folds the end under.

There is probably no helping him.

Actually, I do exactly that.

Brian, I can't tell if you're being serious or kidding around with me, but I've heard this before from other people who are being serious. I'd simply suggest for anyone who thinks this way that if you can't negotiate using a door at the same time as other people without causing all sorts of inconvenience and trouble for everyone around you, then absolutely, YES, be sure to follow all of the signs so as not to make a pest of yourself. I'm not sure what they're going to do at the other 99% of stores that have a single door for entry and exit, but at some point they're going to have to hike up those big boy pants and just figure it out, I guess.

[Jerome Stanek]

I worked on a lot of retail stores and some had doors that only swung one way you push to open them

[Lee Schierer]

Everyone is missing the obvious. Many stores have their cash registers located in front of the exit doors, making it easy for customers to leave with their purchases. There is no rule against going in the out, but it can earn you dirty looks from people that think that you are breaking the rules and you can look pretty dumb trying to find a way through the blocked of lanes of the checkout area to get into a store to shop. Also some stores turn off the sensors that will open the exit doors from the out side. Fire codes require all doors to become exits during emergencies.

[Phil Thien]

Actually, I do exactly that.

Brian, I can't tell if you're being serious or kidding around with me, but I've heard this before from other people who are being serious. I'd simply suggest for anyone who thinks this way that if you can't negotiate using a door at the same time as other people without causing all sorts of inconvenience and trouble for everyone around you, then absolutely, YES, be sure to follow all of the signs so as not to make a pest of yourself. I'm not sure what they're going to do at the other 99% of stores that have a single door for entry and exit, but at some point they're going to have to hike up those big boy pants and just figure it out, I guess.

Says the man that probably gets jelly in the peanut butter.

You just don't get it, do you?

Please wipe the knife on a clean slice of bread when changing from jelly to peanut butter.

[John Coloccia]

Says the man that probably gets jelly in the peanut butter.

You just don't get it, do you?

Please wipe the knife on a clean slice of bread when changing from jelly to peanut butter.

One thing I hate is when someone gets butter on the counter. Then they reach for a towel and clean it up, but that just spreads it around and now there's butter on the towel. So then they put it in the laundry, but you see where this is going...now there's butter EVERYWHERE. When it goes into the washing machine, that just further distributes the butter around all of the clothes, and everything the clothes touch from now on will be contaminated with butter.

So obviously you shouldn't buy butter because it gets everywhere.

[ray hampton]

Nobody mention the swinging door that only open out and if you pull the door open someone will push from the other side, hitting you

[Stephen Tashiro]

The distinction between "entrance" and "exit" doors is that the 'Please use other door" signs on "entrance" doors face the outside of the building and on "exit" doors they face the inside of the building.

Another distinction is that it is illegal in most places for a door that is marked "exit" to be locked during business hours. If there are several doors under the "exit" sign, this law is commonly ignored.

[Bill Cunningham]

Always reminds me of this:
http://www.ejectejecteject.com/archives/Midvale-thumb.gif

[ray hampton]

The distinction between "entrance" and "exit" doors is that the 'Please use other door" signs on "entrance" doors face the outside of the building and on "exit" doors they face the inside of the building.

Another distinction is that it is illegal in most places for a door that is marked "exit" to be locked during business hours. If there are several doors under the "exit" sign, this law is commonly ignored.

ARE YOU talking about a exit door being lock so that no one can open the door from the outside or lock the door so that it will not open from the inside

[Rick Potter]

If you have a business with a occupancy capacity of 50 (if memory serves) or more, and it has a swinging door, it must swing out, more than one door, the one marked exit must swing out.

Rick P

[Larry Edgerton]

People are sheep for the most part. This is not new, history has proven it time and time again as we blindly follow our leaders to our doom. Making someone go to a inconvenient door just may be a government test to see how the sheep are doing.

John, Steve and I are in trouble, we have now made it on to the "Nonconformist" list. We can not be counted on to mindlessly follow rules, and the NSA is currently listening to all we say. Those guys across the street on the pole, NSA.......

Shhhh........

Larry

[Mel Fulks]

And are people who use the DOWN escalator as a treadmill "rugged individualists" who don't let others "stand in their way"?

[John Coloccia]

People are sheep for the most part. This is not new, history has proven it ti. and time again as we blindly follow our leaders to our doom. Making someone go to a inconvenient door just may be a government test to see how the sheep are doing.

John, Steve and I are in trouble, we have now made it on to the "Nonconformist" list. We can not be counted on to mindlessly follow rules, and the NSA is currently listening to all we say. Those guys across the street on the pole, NSA.......

Shhhh........

Larry

Wouldn't be the first time I ended up on the group w bench...which is fine because all my friends are there

It really is funny how upset people get. I'm just walking into a store. Its not like I'm stealing your bags or kicking puppies. If you shoot me a friendly glance I might even offer to help you get that big thing you just bought into your car if I have a minute. As for the others, I just giggle because I know they just ruined their own day and it seems fitting that random anger should be turned inward instead of outward.

[ray hampton]

If you are disabled and going to a restroom with a swinging door , WHO GOT the right of way , the person holding his /her water or the person that is exiting the room ?

[Rich Riddle]

This conversation reminds me of that song with the lyrics, "going in through the outdoor, outdoor." Can't remember the title of the song for the world. Think it has the word parade in the lyrics.

[Ed Aumiller]

I learned a new word over this discussion...
"apoplectic"....

Thank you (to Jim Koepke...)

[Lee Reep]

I never have a problem entering stores like Home Depot or Lowe's thru the Exit door. Since they typically have one cashier, and everyone is stacked up at the self checkouts, there is never more a trickle of people leaving the building at any particular time.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

People are sheep for the most part. This is not new, history has proven it time and time again as we blindly follow our leaders to our doom. Making someone go to a inconvenient door just may be a government test to see how the sheep are doing.

John, Steve and I are in trouble, we have now made it on to the "Nonconformist" list. We can not be counted on to mindlessly follow rules, and the NSA is currently listening to all we say. Those guys across the street on the pole, NSA.......

Shhhh........

Larry


LMAO! Well, as long as they don't start cross referencing the lists....

[Mike Cozad]

This conversation reminds me of that song with the lyrics, "going in through the outdoor, outdoor." Can't remember the title of the song for the world. Think it has the word parade in the lyrics.

I probably shouldn't know this, but it's from Prince's Raspberry Beret. "She walked in through the outdoor out door." If that's the one you're thinking of anyway..

[Joe Tilson]

What gets to me is young people,and some older folks, cutting in front of or going between my wife and myself just because they are in a hurry. A young student from Clemson Univ. tripped over my foot doing this and I got the blame for it. It was all I could do to tolerate this kids rage at me. I really wanted to bust his chops, but instead did the right thing and said, I'm sorry.

[Jason Roehl]

People are sheep for the most part. This is not new, history has proven it time and time again as we blindly follow our leaders to our doom. Making someone go to a inconvenient door just may be a government test to see how the sheep are doing.

John, Steve and I are in trouble, we have now made it on to the "Nonconformist" list. We can not be counted on to mindlessly follow rules, and the NSA is currently listening to all we say. Those guys across the street on the pole, NSA.......

Shhhh........

Larry

Yeah, I'm on that list, too.

Stores attempt to control traffic flow to maximize sales. The more time you spend in-store increases the likelihood of an impulse purchase. They wouldn't do it if it didn't work. That's why the milk and eggs are at the opposite back corners of many grocery stores.

As for people being sheep, it just boggles my mind. I drive a plow truck for a landscaper friend. My main responsibility is a large retailer whose name rhymes with "hall fart". Anyway, we, for the most part, have to push the snow away from the building which means that I often have to drive the "wrong" way down several of the aisles. Mind you, I may be pushing a big old pile of snow (my truck, a large, single-axle dump truck, has a v-blade, so I often have it in "scoop" mode). But that doesn't matter to the customers. They don't see my big, red truck with a bunch of flashing lights until they have to stop right in front of me, head to head. Then they'll honk like I'm in their way. NEWS FLASH: If I back up, that big pile of snow in the narrow aisle isn't coming with me...

The other part of it is when I'm done plowing and spread ice melt. My spreader throws more of the product to the driver's side, so I'll often drive against traffic in the lot to throw the ice melt in between cars, especially in areas I couldn't plow because of the parked cars. They just can't do the math, and I won't budge. The icing is, this is in the half of the Twin Cities (Lafayette-West Lafayette) that contains the highly-ranked university.

[Matt Marsh]

Wall-fart always orients the exits and entrances to direct the people to keep left, which seems backwards to most people. People are so accustomed to keeping right. You see people looking up and reading the signs, then you can read the confusion and discomfort in their expressions, often shuffling left and right at least once before they opt which door to use.

[Augusto Orosco]

I pretty much ignore signs like that. I'm not trying to be difficult, and I'm not impatient or lazy, but one thing I can NOT stand is frivolous waste of time. I'll spend weeks getting a tiny detail right, but I won't spend 20 seconds doing some ridiculous task that has no purpose. No one's ever said anything, and why would they? I'm a customer walking into their store.

I don't follow the little arrows at Ikea either. I'm really surprised so many people do.

I sometimes go to some of those stores with my two little ones in tow. The youngest one (20 months) gets in the cart, the older one (6 y.o.) walks next to me. She is still short enough that not everyone leaving the store with their carts can see her. So I have to be extra careful that I keep her close to me so that someone exiting the store with their cart full of stuff doesn't run her over. That's why I prefer to use the exit and entry doors; at least that way I am minimizing the chances of someone going in the other direction and running her over if I am not careful.

Not a biggie, and I don't get mad at people who don't do it. As I said, I am very careful keeping her close to me; but as a parent, I can see the benefit of such signs (while at the same time being mindful that not everyone will follow the signs, and I should always keep my children close to me). For the same reason, and thinking about other parents in my situation, I follow those signs when I am by myself.

[John Coloccia]

IMHO, the signage itself is responsible for people potentially running into you. Everyone ASSUMES that just because it says "Exit", they can blindly scream forward without checking. Remove all of the signs, and people are more careful. This isn't theoretical, BTW. Check out Hans Monderman's implementations of "shared space". How do you make a dangerous place safer? Why, remove all of the signs and cause chaos! It removes the sense of security, everyone is suddenly on edge and nervous, and everyone is much more careful...and it's safer.

I can't imagine running anyone over regardless of the door I used but I'm not surprised that you have to be careful with your children. There are a lot of people that just go through their day in a haze without actually paying attention to anything.

[Augusto Orosco]

IMHO, the signage itself is responsible for people potentially running into you. Everyone ASSUMES that just because it says "Exit", they can blindly scream forward without checking. Remove all of the signs, and people are more careful. This isn't theoretical, BTW. Check out Hans Monderman's implementations of "shared space". How do you make a dangerous place safer? Why, remove all of the signs and cause chaos! It removes the sense of security, everyone is suddenly on edge and nervous, and everyone is much more careful...and it's safer.

I can't imagine running anyone over regardless of the door I used but I'm not surprised that you have to be careful with your children. There are a lot of people that just go through their day in a haze without actually paying attention to anything.

Thanks for the reference, I did a quick look at the guy and the "shared space" concept (hopefully Wikipedia didn't mislead me). It is an interesting concept and I can see the logic of the "Risk compensation" effect. So perhaps there is something to be said about getting rid of the signs (I am not saying we should or we shouldn't, I am just being open the idea); but at the same time, if the sign is already there, not following it is not necessarily a second best.

For instance, we can argue that it would be best to get rid of the "one way" sign and let drivers negotiate traffic under the "shared space" paradigm, but if the sign is already there, ignoring it and driving the other way is certainly not safer for anyone. So, we can fight to get rid of the sign, but it's probably best to obey it while it's still there.

Just to be clear, I am fully aware the exit and entrance issue at stores is clearly not even close to driving against traffic. I am just engaging in a theoretical discussion because I found your mentioning of Monderman's interesting and learned something new thanks to your reply!

[John Lanciani]

I'll just say that if I'm exiting the Borg with a lumber cart full of stuff I'm NOT yielding to anyone who happens to be coming in the door and not paying attention to what is going on around them. If you're going against the flow (I also enter through the "EXIT" door near the pro desk) you'd better have your eyes open.

Now don't get me started on the jokers who think that they are so important that they park in the loading area...

[John Coloccia]

I'll just say that if I'm exiting the Borg with a lumber cart full of stuff I'm NOT yielding to anyone who happens to be coming in the door and not paying attention to what is going on around them. If you're going against the flow (I also enter through the "EXIT" door near the pro desk) you'd better have your eyes open.

If they removed the little signs would you behave the same way? My local wood supplier only has one door. Is that how you would behave there too? Maybe yes? My personal feelings on the matter is I would never let sign drive my behavior towards others so negatively, but that's just my own life philosophy, I guess.

Augusto:
One way signs are important because there just isn't physically enough room for multiple cars to occupy the same space at the same time. The concept of shared space isn't to completely randomize traffic patterns. It's to force real-time negotiation of traffic flow as opposed to blindly following signage. The signage is unimportant. That car coming at you, or the kid on a bike in the middle of the road, is the real thing you need to pay attention to. When you remove the signage, it forces you to negotiate your surroundings in real time so you actually see the problems developing. How often do you hear a driver say, "He just came out of nowhere!!". No he didn't...he came from somewhere, and the driver, quite understandably, didn't see him because he was too busy following the rules to notice. Take away the rules, and train drivers and pedestrians alike that anything can come "out of nowhere" at any time, by design. OK, now we no longer have to worry about stupidity like getting a ticket for inching over the stop line, the guy behind you honking because you took a second too long at the light, etc. We only have to worry about actually driving safely. Great concept. It'll never happen in the US.

[John Lanciani]

If they removed the little signs would you behave the same way? My local wood supplier only has one door. Is that how you would behave there too? Maybe yes? My personal feelings on the matter is I would never let sign drive my behavior towards others so negatively, but that's just my own life philosophy, I guess.


So if you're pushing a cart with 20 sheets of drywall on it you're going to (try to) stop for the self-important knucklehead yapping on his cell phone not watching where he's going? As I said, I'm as guilty as anyone but if the sign says "EXIT" the people exiting have the right-of-way. As for comparing the customer flow at a BORG to an establishment with only one door, that's just grasping at straws.

[John Coloccia]

So if you're pushing a cart with 20 sheets of drywall on it you're going to (try to) stop for the self-important knucklehead yapping on his cell phone not watching where he's going? As I said, I'm as guilty as anyone but if the sign says "EXIT" the people exiting have the right-of-way. As for comparing the customer flow at a BORG to an establishment with only one door, that's just grasping at straws.

I'd behave the same exact way I always do, no matter what the door says. That said, this just never, ever seems to be a problem for me except on very rare occasions. I also don't seem to have any trouble getting on and off an elevator but I've seen people complain endlessly about that too. I can't really explain the ease with which I seem to negotiate the world. Just lucky I guess.

I wouldn't buy 20 sheets of drywall from HD, btw. Too many good suppliers around that will deliver decent loads of building material for peanuts. :)

edit:
My wife's a psychologist...mostly deals with children. She tells them, "assume good intentions". She's told me that many times too...LOL. I've started taking her advice. She's right. It's amazing how much more considerate OTHER people are when you're giving off positive vibes. :)

[Mike Henderson]

What gets to me is young people,and some older folks, cutting in front of or going between my wife and myself just because they are in a hurry. A young student from Clemson Univ. tripped over my foot doing this and I got the blame for it. It was all I could do to tolerate this kids rage at me. I really wanted to bust his chops, but instead did the right thing and said, I'm sorry.
I'm one of those people, also, and I'm not young. I'm usually in a hurry. All I ask is that if you're poking along, stay to the side and let the people who are in a hurry get past you safely.

That's a similar problem to one I used to encounter when I did bike riding on a mixed use trail. The trail was marked with a line down the middle, with pedestrians to the right and bikes to the left. Walkers would spread out over the whole trail and get upset when our group came along and shouted at them "Passing Left". I don't know what they thought we should do. Slow down and ride behind them?

Mike

[David Weaver]

The same thing happens here on a road bike path - it's divided by a walking path with a white line. I used to ride a road bike a lot, and if I could get around those folks by heading out into an unoccupied car lane, I'd do that, but people were usually pretty huffy about having to give way to bikes. Must be a reflex to snap back at people.

[Mel Fulks]

Met that Monderman guy once. I was driving through a car wash and he drove in the other end ....he said he had
already washed his car and just wanted the hot wax.

[Augusto Orosco]

One way signs are important because there just isn't physically enough room for multiple cars to occupy the same space at the same time. The concept of shared space isn't to completely randomize traffic patterns. It's to force real-time negotiation of traffic flow as opposed to blindly following signage. The signage is unimportant. That car coming at you, or the kid on a bike in the middle of the road, is the real thing you need to pay attention to. When you remove the signage, it forces you to negotiate your surroundings in real time so you actually see the problems developing. How often do you hear a driver say, "He just came out of nowhere!!". No he didn't...he came from somewhere, and the driver, quite understandably, didn't see him because he was too busy following the rules to notice. Take away the rules, and train drivers and pedestrians alike that anything can come "out of nowhere" at any time, by design. OK, now we no longer have to worry about stupidity like getting a ticket for inching over the stop line, the guy behind you honking because you took a second too long at the light, etc. We only have to worry about actually driving safely. Great concept. It'll never happen in the US.

yes, I get the idea; the one-way sign was probably a bad example, but my point was about what is the most appropriate behavior given the status quo, setting aside the fact that we might or might not change it in the future. With the shared space logic, there is an understanding of how things work, so everyone can calibrate their most appropriate behavior (risk compensation). With the let's call it "signs-everywhere" logic, there is also an understanding of how things work, and we calibrate accordingly. In both cases, we have to account for outliers who will engage in irresponsible behavior and that becomes part of how we calibrate our responses.

It is very possible that the shared space concept produces a more efficient outcome, but that's not my point: When someone who lives in a "signs-everywhere" environment ignores those signs, he or she is taking a unilateral decision that affects the others. Going back to the original question of the post: Every time I enter by the "entrance" sign, I don't know if the person going the other way is either a) careful and alert, but thinks the rule is stupid, or b) reckless and/or distracted. So, for risk purposes, I have to lump them all in the same category and take the appropriate evasive maneuvers (assuming that my risk aversion towards my children being run over is extremely high). In this example, the costs are clearly trivial to me (my "evasive" maneuver forced me to lose a second? two?), but it is a cost nonetheless that has been imposed to me by that person (what in Economics is called an "externality"). I am sure there are other examples where the externalities per capita are much greater.

So, maybe the store signs are indeed stupid. I never thought of that until now, perhaps I am guilty of sheep behavior! Regardless, I will continue to follow them because of what I just explained. Nevertheless, next time someone asks my opinion about the signs themselves, I'll might as well point them to Monderman :)

[ken masoumi]

IMHO, the signage itself is responsible for people potentially running into you. Everyone ASSUMES that just because it says "Exit", they can blindly scream forward without checking. Remove all of the signs, and people are more careful.


John,if all the signs are removed then what happens to all those self righteous people and the dirty looks they usually dish out when they see people walking in the store through the exit door?don't you just love that look? like they just witnessed a murder.

[John Coloccia]

John,if all the signs are removed then what happens to all those self righteous people and the dirty looks they usually dish out when they see people walking in the store through the exit door?don't you just love that look? like they just witnessed a murder.

The absolute WORST is Ikea. When I go there, I'm not browsing. I just want to pick up my boxes and go. I'm prepared...I know the model number...I know the aisle it's in. I just want to walk in, grab it, and walk out but noooooooo. They want me to first go upstairs, have lunch, then walk through the living room area....and then the dining room area...and then the kitchen area....then the office area, followed by the bedroom area....then trounce through the storage solution area, and through to the children's furniture area. Then I have to go back down stairs, and walk through the candles and wall clocks area, followed by the kitchen knives and cutting boards area, and then the kitchen accessories/pots/pans area....and then through the bathmat area, and coat hanger area....and then through the pillows and sheets area, followed by the ugly lights and drapes area...and then on to the fake plants and throw rugs area, followed by the random stuff that even WE don't know what it is area....and then FINALLY, I get to where the actual boxes are.

Are you kidding me? I'm grabbing a cart from outside (they're all strewn around the parking lot since the one sign NO ONE can seem to follow is the one that says "Shopping Carts Here" sign), going in through the exit, taking a short 30 second walk to my box, and I'm out of there. Yeah, I get dirty looks, but I don't blame them for being grumpy. They just went on a 20 minute excursion just to buy a cheap toilet brush and a couple of bottles of pickled herring.

[ken masoumi]

Ohh Don't start me on Ikea,my wife loves Ikea,she drags me there every time we are in the area,but I learned a trick with their "20 minute excursion" signs,I watch their employees and see how they get from one department to another using shortcuts in the same floor ,so now I know most of the shortcuts to the cash,once we are ready to pay I drag her and the shopping cart from lighting through the kitchen,to the gardening and voila ,we are at the cash,of course you must learn to ignore the angry looks the staff give you.

[Larry Edgerton]

Another little quirk people have.......

I hauled race trucks in a semi for years and many of the places I would go would have passing lanes off and on, usually about 2 miles long. I would always pull into the slow lane and slow down to the speed limit to let people by as I normally ran 5-6mph over. About half of the time there would be some moron that would pull up close to the back of the trailer in the passing lane, and stay right there holding up the line of cars behind them. Then, when they saw the merge left sign as it came out from behind my semi they would stand on the gas. Sorry kids, but I am not driving half a million dollars worth of rig on the shoulder because you are indecisive. And then they would invariably pass me when oncoming traffic was present, and flip me off of course.

When I was a young fella in the late sixties I worked on a dairy ranch in Preston Idaho for a summer and had to herd the cows in every morning and every evening. And always, there were a few that were belligerent and did not want to go the way they were supposed to. Never thought much about it over the years, being as they are just stupid cows, till my wife talked me into going to Ikea one day.

Ahhh, I get it.....

Larry

[John Coloccia]

So my choices are weak minded sheep or stupid cow? This is probably why I hate shopping so much. There's really no way to do "majestic lion" anymore, is there?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Majestic lion, LOL?! I'm thinking the Ferrari dealership probably affords that experience. Those of you who shop there, please don't ruin this for me by telling me otherwise.

Larry, driving a semi is a great way to study people. If someone wanted to, they could spend some serious research $'s and probably an entire career trying to explain why cars act the way they do around semis. My favorite stunt cars pull is the pass then turn trick. I've seriously considered helping evolution out by eliminating that gene pool several times.

[David Weaver]

When I was a young fella in the late sixties I worked on a dairy ranch in Preston Idaho for a summer

Oh...you just missed napoleon dynamite by about 3 1/2 decades!

[David Weaver]

So my choices are weak minded sheep or stupid cow? This is probably why I hate shopping so much. There's really no way to do "majestic lion" anymore, is there?

These days, it's Mustard Tiger (for the 2 people on this entire forum who will get that).

(I don't go to ikea, either - it's like an amusement park attraction or something just to get to the end)

[Joe Tilson]

Mike,
I'm not slow and I do walk to the right side of the isle. This young man came out of the clothing isle into the main from my right at a dead run. I will get out of anyone's way to keep the peace, just do not run over my wife. That will start a fight. :mad: I'm not upset, Just had to reply. No offense.

[Larry Edgerton]

Steve, another thing I figured out driving truck is that old people's [You know, older than us...] right foot is connnected to their head.

I drove a lot of two lanes with trucks, so when you get a car ahead of you and you have to plan a pass. You drop back and wait till the oncoming car is almost to the car ahead and drop the hammer so you are up to speed when the car passes. You pull up next to the old guy in the Crown Vic and he looks over at you. You can see him through the window in the door, and as he turns his neck, his foot goes down and he speeds up to your speed. Now the car behind you has pulled up into your slot so you can't go back, and this guy is staring at you with a "Why are you driving beside me?" look.

Thinking back to those days, I am really amazed that there are not more truckers in loony bins than dentists.

Larry

[Jim Matthews]

They just went on a 20 minute excursion just to buy a cheap toilet brush and a couple of bottles of pickled herring.

Now hang on a second.
How exactly do you clean a toilet with pickled herring?

Is this the truth behind Surströmming?

It's the Swedish version of Prison Applejack - fermented in toilets?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzB203OjU-M

For a little variety in your household, try some Durian airfreshener, afterwards.

[Jim Matthews]

Stores attempt to control traffic flow to maximize sales. The more time you spend in-store increases the likelihood of an impulse purchase. They wouldn't do it if it didn't work. That's why the milk and eggs are at the opposite back corners of many grocery stores.

Thank you for stating the obvious.
Signage isn't for the convenience of cutomers, it's to maximize sales.

Why people get behind the wheel and forget their high school physics lessons is another matter, entirely.
I drive amongst the Massholes every day. It's amazing how tenuous their grasp of mechanics really is,
and how often that's demonstrated on our mostly clear roads.

I learnt to drive behind plows in Montana.
Plows go first.

Must be the "Last loaf of bread" alert on their smart fon hazzem inna panik.

[Jason Roehl]

I learnt to drive behind plows in Montana.
Plows go first.

Must be the "Last loaf of bread" alert on their smart fon hazzem inna panik.

On the roads, that would be wise. However, in parking lots, plow truck drivers would prefer that you avoid us altogether--go down another aisle. Don't follow us, don't drive on any windrows we may have going (and certainly don't park on them), and park in areas that are totally plowed. We back up a lot in parking lots, so following us is not good. I can't count the number of times I've plowed snow into a pile somewhere and someone pulls up right behind me when my only option is backing up. I've got news for them: my hitch will probably win over your hood and radiator...

[Phil Thien]

I'm one of those people, also, and I'm not young. I'm usually in a hurry. All I ask is that if you're poking along, stay to the side and let the people who are in a hurry get past you safely.

That's a similar problem to one I used to encounter when I did bike riding on a mixed use trail. The trail was marked with a line down the middle, with pedestrians to the right and bikes to the left. Walkers would spread out over the whole trail and get upset when our group came along and shouted at them "Passing Left". I don't know what they thought we should do. Slow down and ride behind them?

Mike

I think this is the key. The same goes for walking, riding a bike, or driving. I'm sometimes in a hurry, often not. But when I'm not in a hurry I keep right and if I get the impression someone else IS in a hurry, I try to stay out of their way, make it possible for them to get around me.

There are people that will drive BELOW the speed limit when the traffic is only single lane and there is an endless line behind them. As soon as there are two lanes, they drive OVER the speed limit. Almost as if they're doing on purpose, to be cute.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

These days, it's Mustard Tiger (for the 2 people on this entire forum who will get that).

(I don't go to ikea, either - it's like an amusement park attraction or something just to get to the end)

I admit, I googled it, then wondered if that was still on, I haven't seen it in years. Good quote!

[Patrick Grady]

Yes controlled foot traffic through Walmart box stores is designed to max out profits and make shoppers feel comfortable, but they also reflect insurance company and fire code requirements. What might seem like a few frivolous wasted extra steps during light foot traffic at 10 am might become million dollar steps on a courthouse posterboard diagram after aunty M sprained her ankle during a store false fire alarm. Rules of the road date back back over a thousand years in the maritime world. Most of us don't walk on water but nautical traffic signage and lighting is absolutely critical to vessels operating safely in coastal waters. Boats are not pushing shopping carts but I think the principles are the same and have been for many years. Also, I have run thousands of miles and when I have trained on tracks or bike paths, things always worked better when signs educated slower traffic to keep right or outside the faster inside track lane. We are all sheep, but even the fast sheep need signs to know where to go and how to not run over others.

[Mel Fulks]

Patrick,well said, except for the sheep thing. Sheep make wool without help. They only cooperate to make more sheep.

[Jim Matthews]

What we get in the Massachusetts South Coast would be considered a dusting in most sane parts of North America.

I avoid parking lots, when there's snow coming.
People panic, and the local standards for driving drop to abyssmal.



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[Chris Padilla]

In Through The Out Door

Sounds like a great album name. ;)